This summer, I'm taking a massive 5-week road trip with my kids to visit family back east, and my route will be taking me through some unfamiliar territory. So, my question to all you wise mamas out there is this - if you were driving I-80 through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, then I-77 down through Ohio into West Virginia, then I-64 into Virginia, where would you stop to do things with children? I need places that are hands-on and interesting, but not too far off the interstates, since I do have to get all the way across in 5 to 7 days.
Also, the next leg of my journey takes me through Virginia and North Carolina (my old stomping grounds), then back up to Indiana again, then down I-55 through Illinois to St.Louis, then down I-44 through Missouri to Kansas, then across Kansas through Colorado (probably on I-70) and back to Utah. From Indiana onwards I will have a travel trailer. Anybody have suggestions of good places to go, things to do, or places to camp with a 5 y.o.and 9 y.o.?
Thanks, ladies!
Thanks to all of y'all who responded. I got some great suggestions - a few places I knew, some I knew but had forgotten about, some totally new.
Sounds like a great trip. If your not already a member, consider signing up for AAA motor club. If already a member, get a book for each state you'll be traveling.
If your coming through Virginia into DC then you could check out some of the Smithsonian museums , the American History Museum has a hands on science lab on the lower level for kids which is fun. You also have the theme parks (Six Flags & Kings Dominion) , Williamsburg I have heard is worth a visit (yet to go myself). Sorry forgot to mention the DC zoo. About an hour ouside of VA in MD (Baltimore) there is a kids musuem called "Port Discovery" which is a lot of fun for kids , you would need a whole day to see it and it will allow them to burn off some energy. Shenandoah is a good scenic drive , plus they have camping available.
Hope this is some help
The St. Louis Arch is great. You can go up inside it. when your going down through illinois and indiana we went to the corvette museum. I think it was at the bottom of indiana. watch the road signs as you go. some of the best stuff we have done on trips has been just stuff we saw signs for. found a really cool childrens museum in kentucky on the way home from tennessee.
The St. Louis zoo is awesome! You should totally stop there and it's free!!! Downtown KC has some good stuff...Science City would probably be pretty fun for your kids as well as maybe Crown Center. It is mostly shops but there are some fun restaurants, one with a train that delivers food and there is a super awesome Crayola store. Also there is a place called Kaleidoscope, you have to make a reservation, but it's also free. The 5 year old would probably be more into that than the 9 year old however, it's mostly arts and craft stuff. Crown Center has a website where you can check it all out, but I'm not sure what it is...just google it though!
In Ohio, if you have the time, definitely go to The Wilds, an animal preserve.
http://www.thewilds.org/
I've only been once, during the day, but they say that the animals are much more active in the morning, evening and at night.
It was cool!
For camping, the Ohio State Parks have a variety of types of camping, from the resort lodges (which are like hotel rooms) to family cabins to camper sites to tent sites. That part of Ohio (down I-77) takes you through the outskirts of the Appalachian mountains, so the scenery is lovely. Here is a map of Ohio State Parks along your route: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/tabid/726/Default..... I've been to Burr Oak, and it was a nice park, with a lake you could canoe on (and maybe go swimming I think; it was the fall when we went a few years ago, so I didn't check on swimming), hiking trails, etc.
Have a great trip!
